2026 has been the year of horror, thanks to the breakout success of Obsession, which just grossed over $500 million worldwide, and smaller hits like Scream 7 and Insidious: Out of the Further.
One of the biggest horror hits of the year is Backrooms, an A24-distributed tale directed by 20-year-old Kane Parsons and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve.
The film, which adapted Parsons’ YouTube series and was inspired by the Backrooms creepypasta from several years ago, grossed nearly $400 million off of a $10 million budget and intrigued viewers worldwide with its creepy glimpse into another dimension.
Now that it’s finished its theatrical run, Backrooms is heading to a TV near you. Watch With Us has all the details about when and where you can watch Backrooms on streaming.
Where Can You Watch ‘Backrooms’?
Chiwetel Ejiofor in Backrooms. A24 / courtesy Everett Collection
Backrooms will become available exclusively on HBO Max. That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, as the indie studio has an ongoing streaming licensing deal with HBO Max. Other A24 titles available on the streamer include Queer, The Brutalist and last year’s Marty Supreme with Timothée Chalamet.
When Is ‘Backrooms’ Streaming?
Backrooms will be available to stream on HBO Max starting Friday, September 25. You can start watching it on HBO the following day, Saturday, September 26.
Who Stars in ‘Backrooms’?
The complete cast list is below:
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark
Renate Reinsve as Dr. Mary Kline
Mark Duplass as Phil
Finn Bennett as Robert “Bobby” Franklin
Lukita Maxwell as Kathrine “Kat” Taylor
Ember Ambrose as young Mary
Avan Jogia as Naren Warne
Robert Bobroczkyi as Pirate Clark
Krista Kosonen as Nora Kline
In addition to directing, Parsons also co-wrote the music with Edo Van Breemen. Will Soodick wrote the screenplay. Among the film’s many producers are Jason Blum, who produced such modern classics as Get Out, The Black Phone, Paranormal Activity and the 2018 Halloween remake; James Wan, director of genre hits like The Conjuring, Aquaman and Malignant; and Osgood Perkins, who helmed the 2024 summer hit, Longlegs, and last year’s comic horror gem, The Monkey, with Theo James.
What Is ‘Backrooms’ About?
Here’s the official logline from HBO Max and Warner Bros.:
“A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom, leading to an endless network of interconnected rooms where time bends and the only thing scarier than getting lost is the sense that something is lying in wait.”
Vague enough for you? The trailer (embedded below) reveals a bit more.
Is ‘Backrooms’ Worth Watching?
Yes, but adjust your expectations. Backrooms isn’t a traditional horror film; the body count is low, and there aren’t that many answers to the questions the film raises. Parsons’ movie is more of a psychological horror film than anything else, focusing on the childhood trauma of its two lead characters and the differing ways they process it as adults.
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Backrooms has an impressive 87 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes and a decent 6.8 user rating on IMDb. It’s one of the year’s most critically acclaimed films, so there’s a decent chance you’ll like it.
